Cigar perforator



Patented Mer. 1, 1939 l 2,149,346

UNITED STATES 'PATENT' OFFICE CIGAR PERFoRA'roR Walter E. Ibold and Joseph R. Fornefeld, Cincinnati, Ohio, assgnors to Michael Ibold Incorporated, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation f Ohio Application Meren 2s, 1935, serial Ne. 13,497

2 claims. (c1. 1x1-2o) Our invention relates to cigar periorators for Still a further object of' our invention is to piercing the head of a cigarV toV facilitate free provide a device which forms an aperture in the drawing While smoking and to eliminate the ne- .head of a cigar after it has been made and rolled cessity of clipping Vor biting the end of a cigar in the usual manner, and Which therefore elimi- 5 previous to smoking. f nates any special rolling or handling. Our device 5 The usual ycigar when itY has been rolled and is applicable for cigars which are rolled either nished presents the head, which is the end that right or left, and in both cases insures that the isplaced in ther mouth, as completely covered by Wrapper covering the head will not unravel and the cigar Wrapper. This therefore necessitates expose the inner tobacco contained in the body,

lo the piercing or biting off of the head in order t0 to the mouth of the smoker. 10 obtain an aperture into the cigar body so as to These and other objects of our invention which facilitate drawing. Biting ofi the head of a cigar will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent is' very apt to tear the wrapper and the tobacco to one skilled in the art upon reading these specicontained in the body of the cigar then cornes out cations, we accomplish by that certain construcinto the mouth of the smoker. If the Cigar iS tion and arrangement of parts of Which We shall l5 pCI'OI'aiJCd `by 8J pin 0I Such, the Wrapper is torn now describe apreferred embodiment. Reference and eventually during smoking is apt to unravel is now made to the drawing which forms a part and thus permit the tobacco enclosed'in the body thereof, and in which:

` to enter the mouth of the smoker.- Figure l 'is a perspective view of our novel There rhave been ay number of machines and needle used in perforating a. cigar head. 20 piercing implements 0n the markt fOr piercing Figure 2 is a cross-section of the machine used the head Of a Cigar befOr Smoking, but all 0f to insert the needle into thev head of the cigar these devices have decided disadvantages.A If and to retract it'thererf'rom.

the cigar ispierced at the store where it is pur- Figure 3l is an enlarged section of a portion of chased by a machine and then carried around in Fig. 2 showing the position of the needle in the 25 the pocket, the torn Wrapper is very apt to unmachine. f

ravelfOn the other hand if the SmOker pielces Figure 4 is a cross-section of a cigar head showhis cigar just before smoking it, it. necessitates ing the perforation in the head placed there by the carrying around of a piercer'which is a our novel invention, Y

nuisance. Even the piercing -of the Cigar J'lJSt Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plano-development 30 before smoking does not insure that the Wrapper 'of the face of the @am shown in Fig 2 will'v not unravel during smoking, if pierced by Briey our invention comprises a perforating the usualneedle on the market Since the Wrapper kneedle having a sharp point, a shoulder behind is fractured and no provision ismadefor prethe point and a tapered portion extending from ventingl it from further tearing and unravelingthe shoulder te a llet. The needle is revolved It iS an Object 0f 0111 inVeDtOrlt0 provide a and inserted and withdrawn from the head of a cigar peIfOratOl Which eliminatesv` the necessity cigar. The inserting and withdrawing means is 0f Clipping the end OfaCigar preViOuStO SmOkautomatically governed and in phase with the 111g,A 22nd Which insures flee drawingdilring Smokrevolving means so that the needle Will enter the 40 ing; Y head in a given number of revolutions, remain in 40 It is a'further object .of our invention to prothe head for a given number of revolutions and yvide a cigar perforat'or which whileaperforating be mthdrawn from the head' in a given number the head 0f the Cigar, DSUIGS that the Wrapper of revolutions. The cycle of reciprocation of the VWill not further fracture and` will not 'unravel'. needle is started by aflever and is stopped auto- This iS an @Special advantagesine it permits the matically after the completion of' the cycle. 45 pelfOI'atOl'l 0f the Cigarvat the. factoryl and insures Means for reversing the rotation of the needle is that it will not unravel if carried around in the also provided so'that it may be used with a cigar pocket of the smoker before smoking. which has been rolled in either a left hand or A further object of our invention is to.y provide rightr hand direction. afdevice which 'perforates thev head of a cigar Briefly in the practice of our invention we pro- 50 quickly, @Veniyahd autOmatGa'lly, and thus invide a perforating needle l having a sharp point suring that each cigarwill be perforated exactly 2. and ashoulder 3 directly behind the point 2. the same vas every other. Thispermits quantity There is a shank portion 4 which. runs from the perforation at the factory Where the cigars are shoulder 3 to a fillet 5 near the base of the manufactured. needle. `The shank portion 4 is tapered evenly 55 from the shoulder 3 to the fillet 5 with the smallest portion of the taper at the shoulder 3. The portion of the needle from the point 2 to the illet 5 is the portion which is injected into the cigar head 5, and we also provide a base shank l, which may have a shoulder 8, for holding the needle in the machine for actuating it.

The needle I is immovably held in the end of a shaft 9 by being placed in an aperture at the end and held in place by a set screw 9. The shaft 9 is slidably but non-rotatably mounted in a hollow shaft I0, which in turn is journaled in bearings II and II' in the supporting casting and casing I2. Therefore, when the hollow shaft Il! revolves, shaft 9 revolves also. The shaft 9 is so mounted in the hollow shaft I8 that the end carrying the needle I may project from one end of the shaft I9 and a portion I3 of the shaft 9 projects from the other end of the hollow shaft I9. Mounted on and keyed to the shaft I8 are two oppositely faced bevel gears I4, and these may be so mounted as to prevent the longitudinal movement of the shaft I in the bearings II and II'.

Journaled on suitable bearings is a shaft I5 which is mounted so as to be below and transverse to the shaft I 9. This shaft I5 is so mounted that it crosses the shaft I0 between the two oppositely faced bevel gears I4. Jouinaled on the shaft I5 is an upstanding arm I6 which carries journaled therein a shaft I'I. The shaft I1 is so placed and of such a length that one end projects between the two bevel gears I4 while the other endr projects through the arm I6 and carries a pulley I8 keyed thereto. On the end of the shaft Il projecting between the two gears I4 is keyed a bevel gear I 9 formed to mesh with either of the bevel gears I4. The gear I9 may be made to mesh with either one of the two gears I4 by movement of the free end of the arm I6, and there is a means 28, which may consist of a plate carrying two holes which register with ahole in the free end of the arm I6 and so positioned that if 'a pin is inserted in one of the two holes and in the hole in the arm I6 the gear I9 will be held in engagement with either one of the two gears I4. The pulley I8 is driven from some power source not shown through the belt 2|.

From the above description it is apparent that the revolving of the pulley I8 will revolve the needle I in either direction depending with which of the two gears I4 the gear I9 is meshed; and that the revolution of the needle may be reversed by moving the free end of the arm I6 to the other position and holding it there by the holding means 20.

The above description shows the manner in which the needle I is revolved and may be reversed at the will vof the operator. We will now take up the means for reciprocating the needle into and out of the cigar head 6.

Keyed to the shaft I'I is a spur gear 23, and keyed to the shaft I5 is a spur gear 24. These two spur gears 23 and 24 intermesh with each other. There is a shaft 25 journaled in appropriate bearings held in the casting I2, which shaft 25 is parallel to the shaft I3 and at right angles to, and with an end projecting under the shaft. I5. The end of the shaft I5 carries a worm gear 26 keyed thereto which intermeshes with a pinion gear 2'! keyed to the shaft 25. It is apparent from the above that the driven pulley I8 drives the shaft 25 through spur gears 23, 24, shaft l5, worm gear 25r and pinion gear 2. Mounted so as to revolve on shaft 25 and connected thereto by means of a clutch (to be described later), is a drum cam 28 carrying a track 29. There is a fixture 36 clamped around the shaft I3 and carrying a cam roller 3l on the end. This clamp fixture 30 may be held in position by being fastened to a sliding rod 32 parallel to the shafts I3 and 25. The fixture 30 is so positioned that the cam ioller 3| rides in the cam track 29 at all times. The portion of the shaft I3 on which the fixture 39 is journaled may be cut away to form a shoulder to prevent the fixture 30 sliding laterally thereon, or may be provided with a shoulder 33 and a collar 33a for the same purpose. It is apparent that the arrangement of parts is such that while the shaft I3 may revolve in the fixture 39, the movement of the cam track 29 will reciprocate the revolving shaft I3. The incident or cycle of reciprocation of the shaft I3 and the needle I, is of course determined by the track 29 on the cam 28.

Slidably positioned around the shaft 25 adjacent to the side of the barrel cam 28, but prevented from revolving on the shaft 25 by means of a sliding key or Woodruff 34 is a sleeve 35. The outside of the sleeve 35 may, as illustrated, act as the bearing of the shaft 25. OneV end of the sleeve 35 projects from the bearing surface and from the casting I 2. The other end of the sleeve 35 where it abuts the side of the cam 28 contains teeth 36 while the abutting surface. of the side of the cam 2B also contains registering teeth 36. From the above it is apparent that if the sleeve 35 is pressed against the side of the cam 28 the teeth 36 and 36 will engage and the cam 28 will revolve with the shaft 25, and will continue to revolve with the shaft as long as the teeth 36 and 36 remain in engagement. The free end of the sleeve 35 which projects beyond the casting i2 contains an annular groove 31 and there is an arbor 38 having a saddle 39 which rides in the groove 3?. The saddle 39 is positioned in about the center portion of the arbor 38 and one end of the arbor l38 is pivoted at 49 to the casting. The other end of the arbor 38 also contains a pivot aperture which is attached to a lug 4I which in turn is on the end of a rod 45, which is slidably held in an aperture in the casting I2. Pivoted on a projection of the casting is a bell crank42 the end 43 of'which bears against the lug 4I and the'other arm of which is fastened to a pedal for foot actuation or some manually actuating means for rocking the bell crank 42 so that the arm 43 presses against the lug 4I and thus moves the arbor 38 on its pivot 49, so as 'to press the sleeve 35 against the side of the cam and force the teeth 36 and 36' to engage. The side ofthe cam 28 has 'a projecting lug 44 in the form of a wedge with the line of the bite of the wedge `on a line radial with the center or bearing portion of the cam 28. The end of the rod also is formed in the shape of a wedge and is so positioned that when the cam 2B is in a given position of rotation, the wedge 44 on the cam will contact the wedge shaped end of the rod 45 and force the rod 45 and the lug 4I containedl thereon outwardly. This in turn will rock the arbor 38 on its pivot 48 and will draw the sleeve 35 with its teeth 35 away from the side of the cam 23 and the clutch will be disengaged and the cam 28 will 'stop rotating. From the construction illustrated it is apparent that the cam 23 will make one complete revolution before it stops. The shaping 'of the projection 44 and the end of the rod 45 is such as toprohibit the stopping of the cam 23 in such a position that the der of the aperture.

operator cannot depress the rod 45 and engage the clutch. Whether or not the bell crank 42 remains in position after it has engaged the clutch is immaterial since it is only necessary to rock the bell crank 42 to make the cam 28 perform one cycle or revolution.

' The track 29 on the surface of the drum cam 28 is a closed track and a diagrammatic planodevelopment of this track is shown in Fig. 5. The track illustrated is so configured that in the one cycle of revolution of the cam 28, the shaft I3 carrying the needle I Will revolve l1 times as it moves forward into the cigar head 6 (that is ythrough an angle of 99 on the cam), remain in the head of the cigar for 20 revolutions of the needle (180 of the cam), and revolve'8 times as it is being withdrawn from the cigar head 6 (72 of the cam). Of course it is apparent that it is possible to vary this exact procedure by changing the configuration of the cam track, and the gear ratio between the shaft I 3 and the cam driving shaft 25, and we do not intend to limit ourselves to any specific procedure.

In our preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing, we have shown a cigar head receiving cup 41 which is fastened to the casing I2 of the mechanism by means of a screw or screws 41.

Vas to engage either one of the gears I4. The cigar is then placed on the table 49 so that the head 6 projects into the cup 41. The operator then actuates the clutch,by either stepping on a foot pedal or by some other means well known in the art, and the needle I is projected into the cigar head 6 in accordance with the gearing and the configuration of the track 29 on the cam face.

As the needle I moves into the cigar head 6, the sharp point 2 of the needle first punctures the wrapper of the cigar head 6 and as the needle I advances the shoulder 3 folds down an area of the wrapper 50 into the aperture. As the tapered it further folds in the wrapper 5I) and increases the opening in the cigar. When the revolving needle has advanced its full length into the cigar the fillet 5 smoothes and locks the portion of the Wrapper 50 into the position and molds the shoul- The aperture is now completely'formed and the needle I, still revolving retracts from the cigarhead 6. When the needle I has been withdrawn its full distancethe projection on the side of the cam 44 contacts the end of the rod 45 and the clutch is thrown and the cam 28 stops; thus leaving the needle I, withdrawn from the cup 41. The apparatus is now in position for the next cigar, and the advance to the needle may be started, by again actuating the bell crank 42.

As is apparent there are numerous forms of machines which may be constructed to revolve the needle and advance it into a cigar head and to withdraw it therefrom, and for that reason we do not intend to limit ourselves to the construction of the machine for actuating the needle, but merely have illustrated an exemplary machine for that purpose.

A cigar head perforated by our novel needle has all of the advantages claimed and presents a cigar head with a portion of the Wrapper folded into and locked in the aperture. This of course prevents the wrapper from further fracturing and the tobacco in the body of the cigar coming out into the mouth of the smoker.

Of course a machine may be made which will automatically feed the cigars and place them in positionfor perforation, and in fact our invention may be incorporated as one of the elements of the usual machine for automatically forming and manufacturing cigars.

It is to be understood that different forms of our preferred form may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ls:-

1. A cigar perforator comprising the combination of a perforating needle, means for revolving said needle in one direction at all times during its operation, means for reciprocating said needle into and out of the head of a cigar with a pause in reciprocation when said needle is furthermost in said head, said reciprocating means being cyclic, and including a clutch, means for engaging said clutch for starting said reciprocating means on its cycle, and means for disengaging said clutch at the end of its cycle.

2. A cigar perforator comprising the combination of a perforating needle, means for revolving said needle in one direction at all4 times times during its operation, means for reciprocating said needle into and out of the head of a cigar with a pause in reciprocation when said needle is furthermost in said head, said reciprocating means being cyclic, and including a clutch, means for engaging said clutch for starting said reciprocating means on its cycle, means for disengaging said yclutch at the end of its cycle, said clutch engaging means being manually operated, and said clutch disengaging means being automatically operated.

WALTER E. IBOLD. JOSEPH R. FORNEFELD. 

